Re-forming device for distributor body housings



NOV. 17, 1942. J, v PERRY 2,302,141

REFORMING DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTOR BODY HOUSINGS Filed Sept.v 11, 1940 l lllll/lIIll/IlIlllllllll/llllllllll lu '1.

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 17, 1942 REFORMING DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTOR BODY HOUSINGS .lames V. Perry, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner of i one-half to E. M. Nutting, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application september 11, 1940, serial No. 356,332

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the art of grinding and polishing, and more particularly to a-brading devices.

In distributors of Delco-Remy ignition systems for engines, normal wear of the annular groove of the distributor body housing in which the breaker plate usually has a three-point ball bearing mounting, adversely affects the operation of the distributor, this wearing of the groove being concentrated at those points rolled upon by the balls incident to a several degree oscillatory motion of the plate to advance and retard the spark, and causing sluggish, erratic and generally inefficient operation of the engine, particularly at the higher speeds.

An object of this invention is to provide a device adapted to be readily applied to the body housing of a distributor and to be operated to accurately reiinish or dress the breaker plate mounting groove by removing any inequalities or indentations in the surface of the groove so as to restore the latter to its original smooth annular contour, whereby to obviate defective mechanical operation of this vital and sensitive portion of the ignition system and entirely eliminatel replacement of the body housing at co-nsiderable expense.

Another object of the invention is to provide a regrooving device for distributor body housings which is compact, portable, inexpensive to manufacture, and is readily applied to and removed from the housing as Well as conveniently adjusted to vary the depth to which the groove is being renished by feeding of the abrading element of the device as the operation progresses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above described character which embodies a tool by which the abrading element can be accurately refaced when worn, so as to restore the element to its original contour for accurate operation upon the groove of the body housing.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the combinations, arrangements and functional relationships of elements as set forth 'in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation, partly in section, of the re-forming device embodying this invention applied to the body housing of a distributor;

Figure 2 is a plan sectional view taken on the hline 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1; f f

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the mounting 'of a tool on the re-forming device, lfor dressing the abrading element of the device; Figure 51s a plan view of the distributor with the cap and certain other parts thereof removed for the sake of clarity in illustrating the ballbearing mounting of the breaker plate.

Referring specically to the drawing, the invention, in its present embodiment, Vcomprises a support S composedofa tubular post I0 having at its upper end a fiat plate II of generally semi-circular outline. The bore I2 of the post is adapted to receive the reduced upper end I3 of the distributor shaft I4 suitably journaled in bearings in the body housing I 5 of a conventional distributor for the ignition system of an engine. Ther post Iii is split radially as indicated at I6 so as to be constrictable, and is adapted to be clamped to the upper end I3 of the distributor shaft by a screw I'I having a relatively long wrench receiving head. I3, the shank of the screw passing freely through one of. a pair of lugs I9 of the post at opposite sides of the split I6 and being threaded into the other lug as shown in Figure 3.

Pivotally mounted on the plate I I eccentrically of the axis of the post I0 for rocking movement about a xed axis 20 is an arm 2|, the Vouter end of which terminates in a sleeve 22 having its axis in parallelism with that of the post.

'I'he sleeve 22 is split radially as indicated at 23 so as to be rendered constrictable, and is adapted to securely clamp a bearing tube 24 in selected positions of axial adjustment by means of a headed clamping screw 25, the shank of which passes freely through one of a pair of lugs 26 on the sleeve .at one side of the split 23, and is threaded into the other lug.

A shaft 30 is journaled in the tube 24 and projects` from the lower end of the latter to receive an abrading element 3| preferably in the -form of a wheel of a suitable abrasive material.

The shaft is reduced in diameter and threaded at 32 to receive a nut 33 which clamps the element against a washer 34 seating against an enlarged portion 35 of the shaft which abuts the lower end of the tube 24.

The upper end of the shaft is connected to a source of power (not shown) through a flexible shaft 40 or directly connected to an electric or air motor supported by the tube.

A coil spring 4I is secured at one end to the plate I I and at its other end to the arm 2| for Fries? y co-action in urging the arm and hence the element 3| transversely of and towards the axis of the post 0. Thus, in the applied position of the device on a distributor body housing as shown in the drawing, the element 3| will be urged by the spring 3| away from the annular wall Q2 of the body housing, it being noted that this wall is provided internallywith an annular groove 43 in which Work balls 44 (Figure 5) mounted in equally spaced retainers 45 on the breaker plate d6 to mount the plate for oscillatory movement in the body housing as will be understood by those familiar with the art.

A feed screw 59 for the abrading element 3| is threaded through a lug 5| on the plate and bears against the arm 2| to maintain the latter in a selected position of adjustment against the urging action of the spring 4|. The screw 50 is provided with an operating knob 52 and with a lock nut 53 having a nger piece 55, by which the nut can be jammed against the lug 5| to lock the screw against turning.

In the use of the distributor on an engine, the oscillatory motion of the breaker plate '46 in advancing and retarding the spark, causes the balls 44 to wear the groove d3 by indenting those portions of the groove against which the balls work under the spring'action of one of the ball retainers 45. This' deformation of the groove 43 adversely affects the operation of the engine I as aforestated, and is corrected by use of the 1re-forming device as follows:

The distributor is removed from the engine, and the distributor cap, rotor, breaker plate and cam assemblies removed from the body'housing l5. The post lll is now applied to the portion |3 of the distributor shaft |4 and rigidly clamped thereto by the screw Il.

With the feed screw 50 retracted, the bearing tube 24 is axially adjusted to locate the abrading wheel 3| directly opposite the groove 43 and is then clamped by the screw 25. The feed screw 50 is now advanced, and power supplied to the shaft 3U to drive the wheel 3|. The device and body housing are now rotated relatively as the feed screw is adjusted for the wheel to take a cut in the groove, this operation being continued until sufficient grinding has been effected to remove the indentations in the groove and restore the latter to true annular form.

When worn, the wheel 3| can be quickly dressed by an attachment tool T having a suitable cutter 60 fitted in an arm 5| provided with apivot pin 62 journaled in a bore 63 in the post `I!) and extending transversely of the aXis of the post. The axis of the bore 63 with respect tothe to the axis; means for securing the post to ther member; an arm pivotally mounted on said support about a xed axis eccentrically of the axis of the post; an abrading wheel; a drive shaft to which said wheel is xed; a bearing tube in which said shaft is journaled; means mounting said tube from said arm about an axis parallel Vwith the axis ofl the post for axial adjustment of the tube to dispose the abrading wheel in a working position, means by which the bearing tube can be rigidly secured to the arm in any selected position of adjustment; and feeding means co-acting with said support and arm to move the latter about its axis in a direction to advance the abrading wheel against the circular surface of the work piece for the grinding thereof by the wheel when the drive shaft is rotated and the work piece and support are relatively rotated.

2. A device of the class described comprising: a support including a post adapted to be mounted on an axis-forming member of a work piece having a circular surface concentrically related to the axis; means for securing the post to the member; an arm pivotally mounted on said support about a xed axis eccentrically of the axis of the post; an abrading wheel; a drive shaft to which said wheel is xed; a bearing tube in which said shaft is journaled; a constrictable sleeve on said arm in which the bearing tube is slidably mounted for axial adjustment parallel to the axis of the post so as to enable the abrading wheel to be disposed in a working position; means by which said sleeve can be constricted to clamp said tube in any selected position of axial adjustment; means for urging said arm in a direction towards said post; and means by which the arm can be moved against the action of said urging means to advance the abrading wheel against the circular surface of the work piece for the grinding thereof by the wheel when the drive shaft is rotated and the work piece and support are relatively rotated.

JAMES v. PERRY. 

